Owls Head (# 47)

[Sematary]

So the trail to the slide is ridiculously easy in my opinion. First 3 miles you might as well be walking on a road but at least the view of the river is nice I guess. After going into the "Woods" it didn't really get any more difficult. It was wet and boggy in places but nothing major. All the river/stream crossings were pretty easy as water is not very high right now. The Slide was interesting and I had some decent views of Lafayette and Lincoln but unfortunately the very summits were hidden by clouds.
The "summit" is a little disconcerting. First, I got to a place where there a bunch of rocks were assembled that I assumed was the "old" summit. I continued on for a bit and climbed slightly until I came to another high point with a few square feet of open space and then it looked like the trail descended from there going forward. That was where I turned around. Apparently (at least according to my gpx track) THAT 2nd spot was the actual "old" summit and if I had continued just a bit further (presuming I could) then I would have reached the 4025 foot peak. So, I guess I can consider this a successful ascent as I did make the old summit but since I had no idea exactly where the summit proper was I didn't continue on. A little disappointed with that. I would like to do this as a winter hike though as it seems like it would be really good for that. As for the slide, it wasn't a difficult as the AMC guide made it seem it would be. It did take time for the ascent as it's very steep but it wasn't that bad.

 

[bikehikeskifish]

The "new" summit has a nice cairn and a birch tree with "Whoo" carved into it

Tim

 

[Ken MacGray]

It's my understanding that the cairn on the "new" summit has recently been removed.

 

[Sematary]

The "new" summit has a nice cairn and a birch tree with "Whoo" carved into it

Tim

So it looks like I at least hit the "old" summit. I'd hate to have to do that hike again just to go an extra few feet. lol

 

[Sematary]

It's my understanding that the cairn on the "new" summit has recently been removed.

Nothing is easy in the Whites. lol

 

[Grey J]

The "new" summit has a nice cairn and a birch tree with "Whoo" carved into it

Tim

In 2015, the summit looked like this and the tree carving said "O H" and then "TOP"

 

[peakbagger]

Its strange that the path to the newest summit is not obvious by now. The last time I was up there around three years ago it was getting established but there were several patches of blowdown along the way that caused the trail to braid. The newest summit was still decidedly less open than the other two older summit clearings but I expect that has changed given the major increase in 4K list folks recently.

Note about 20 years ago while heading up from the east side of the mountain one very early spring day (plenty of snowpack) we found what we believe may have been an earlier "summit" somewhat south of the summit accessed by the slide. This summit was more open (at least with a four feet of snow with some views west of the Lincoln Lafayette Ridge. There was a solitary spruce with two old bolts hanging out of it at the high point. We continued on to what was the recognized summit at the time which was the first one encountered from the current slide route.

Its interesting to note the amount of impact even the less visited summits exhibit at the summit canister. I have had the occasion to visit two somewhat obscure list (NH 200) summits, Bald Cap and South Black Crescent in the last two weeks and both had a distinct trampled down summit clearing despite the most recent entry being from about a year old. Both are viewless and really of interest to possibly boundary line surveyors and peakbaggers. Visits last season similar yielded similar observations. I don't believe that folks are typically actively trying to trample out a spot but nevertheless they are getting trampled. I do see some older saw work on occasion clearing branches from the tree selected for the cannister. About the only time I find them not trampled is when recent blowdown has fallen in the vicinity of the summit.

 

[bikehikeskifish]

Maybe the battle between the cairn/sign putter-uppers and the cairn/sign tearer-downers is back on? Was the bottom of the slide still marked?

Tim

 

[Sematary]

Maybe the battle between the cairn/sign putter-uppers and the cairn/sign tearer-downers is back on? Was the bottom of the slide still marked?

Tim

Yep. There was a cairn and a stick with a green coffee/tea cup on it.

 

[Sematary]

So, does the "old" summit still count?

Based on my GPX that is where I made it to (a little higher along the trail than where I found the first Cairn at the top of the slide). Does that count or do I have to go do this hike again and hit the "new" summit to make it official?

 

[JoshandBaron]

I wish people would stop brushing in Lincoln Brook Trail just past the slide path.

 

[richard]

Based on my GPX that is where I made it to (a little higher along the trail than where I found the first Cairn at the top of the slide). Does that count or do I have to go do this hike again and hit the "new" summit to make it official?

You are GOOD. IMO.

 

[jniehof]

Does that count or do I have to go do this hike again and hit the "new" summit to make it official?

4K committee is still accepting the old summit. I make a point of at least sitting on the pointy rock that's the summit of North Kinsman and I made a point of getting to the new summit since I first did it in 2006, so I wouldn't accept it for myself, but you don't have to please me! I get the impression from the herd paths that most people are going past the old summit but not all the way to the new; I had to break out a bit to the summit in winter of 2017 when everything up to the old summit and then some was pretty hard packed.

There's a fairly clear sequence now (not clear trail, just "sequence of places") coming from the south: top of the slide, mostly level for a bit, then up to definite clearing with no views (old summit), down and across, maybe a tiny bit up to view of Franconia Ridge, then just about the point where you're convinced you've gone too far and are going back down, a bump up to the summit with the view of the Bonds. The view isn't open but it's fairly obvious

 

[Grey J]

I remember passing this marker on the way to the "new" summit. Is this spot the "old" summit? In a way, the absurdity of the confusion about a so-called summit on a gently rolling ridge with no discernible peak is part of the charm of Owls Head, isn't it?

 

[bikehikeskifish]

Summit Pictures and Topo

Original summit, with nails and blue plastic from original sign. Original being relative, of course, it was "at one time, there was a blue sign"

New summit "Whoo" tree

Track... the south 4000 topo circle is the "old" summit and the north 4000 topo with the X and the end of the track, etc., is the "new" summit.


Tim

 

[Sematary]

4K committee is still accepting the old summit. I make a point of at least sitting on the pointy rock that's the summit of North Kinsman and I made a point of getting to the new summit since I first did it in 2006, so I wouldn't accept it for myself, but you don't have to please me! I get the impression from the herd paths that most people are going past the old summit but not all the way to the new; I had to break out a bit to the summit in winter of 2017 when everything up to the old summit and then some was pretty hard packed.

There's a fairly clear sequence now (not clear trail, just "sequence of places") coming from the south: top of the slide, mostly level for a bit, then up to definite clearing with no views (old summit), down and across, maybe a tiny bit up to view of Franconia Ridge, then just about the point where you're convinced you've gone too far and are going back down, a bump up to the summit with the view of the Bonds. The view isn't open but it's fairly obvious

If the 4k committee is accepting the old summit then so am I. lol. However, I will still need to do this as a winter hike so I will be sure to get to the "new" summit on that trip (maybe this year as I think this would make a good winter hike - although that slide will be, um, interesting, on ice).

 

[JoshandBaron]

If the 4k committee is accepting the old summit then so am I. lol. However, I will still need to do this as a winter hike so I will be sure to get to the "new" summit on that trip (maybe this year as I think this would make a good winter hike - although that slide will be, um, interesting, on ice).

Most folks use the Brutus whack in winter

 

[bikehikeskifish]

The winter route / Skidder 'whack (aka Brutus) is detailed here: Compass-bearing-for-BB

Tim

 

[Puma concolor]

FWIW, the old summit of Owl’s Head was my Northeast 111 finishing peak back in 1997.

Took 20 years for me to go back for the new summit just before closing out the New England Hundred Highest last summer.

Covered every bump on the entire ridge for good measure since I never plan on going back again. (No offense to this fine peak.) This is what the cairn looked like 11 months ago ...

https://twitter.com/catamount05/status/900523217944707072